The “Trouble” with Trump?

Listening to the chattering class go apoplectic over the potential presidential candidacy of flamboyant real estate mogul Donald Trump is fascinating. No sooner had “the Donald” mentioned the possibility of running against Barak Obama than the annoying little media gnats began buzzing madly:

“But, he’s declared bankruptcy!”

“He ran a casino into the ground!”

“He’s too confrontational – he rubs people the wrong way!”

Lost in all of the criticism of Trump’s “failures” is the plain and simple fact that winners are those who take risks, and taking chances always brings the possibility of failure. As a wise old baseball coach once said: “Top home run hitters strike out more than anyone else – if you’re afraid to swing and miss, you’ll never be a Babe Ruth.”

And that’s the primary difference. Trump swings for the fences. Obama waits for a walk. Trump has taken huge financial risks his whole life, Obama built his entire political career on voting “present” – playing it safe. Trump is a man of action. Obama is a man of “see what the polls indicate.” Say what you will about Trump, his life is an open book – he has a real history of success. Obama’s only “successes” have been winning elections – and even those were often clouded with charges of backroom chicanery and fraud. Obama is not only the least experienced president in U.S. history, he can’t even produce his college transcripts.

Another thing that that Donald Trump would bring to the office is his view of America, one that is quite different from the obsequious Obama, who never misses an opportunity to apologize for America’s power and success. Trump recognizes the exceptional opportunity that the American free enterprise system provides, for everyone. Obama wants to “spread the wealth around” – but other people’s wealth, never his own.

Moreover, Trump can articulate his views better than any president since Ronald Reagan, and he can do it impromptu – he doesn’t need notes. Those of us in the communications field groan with agony when some media sycophant describes Obama as “a great orator” – what drivel. Obama reads a teleprompter – and usually words written by someone else. Whenever he steps outside the safety of a carefully crafted speech, Obama stammers and stumbles, filling his sentences with “ums” and “uhs” and otherwise floundering.

In a face to face debate, Donald Trump would eviscerate Barak Obama – Trumps knowledge of business, economics, and negotiating in the real world would bring Obama’s razor thin resume into embarrassingly clear focus. Hint: Recall Trump’s testimony in 2005 on renovating the U.N. building – his experience and grasp of the economic reality of the project was so far above theirs as to make them look like utter fools.

In the area of international relations, Trump has made it clear that America’s interests would come first. Oh, sure, Trump’s focus on Obama’s birth certificate during his recent conversation with Today Show host Meredith Vieira was criticized, even by conservatives. But the real “money line” during that interview was when Trump noted that in the world today, America is being laughed at, then promised that “when I am president, they won’t be laughing anymore.”

I have no idea if Donald Trump is seriously considering running for the presidency – that remains to be seen. But I do know that ANY flaws that Trump has pale in comparison to Barak Obama’s utter lack of experience and his total mishandling of the nation’s economic problems. When you consider Obama’s anti-oil, anti-coal, anti-nuclear, anti-free-enterprise energy policy, combined with his blatantly socialist approach to government intruding on every aspect of our lives, the only real question is:

How could Donald Trump be any worse than the rank amateur we have now?